Leicester Tigers and European Challenge Cup semi-final rivals RC Toulon have met just three times previously, most recently in back-to-back rounds in December 2014.
Tigers travel to the Stade Félix Mayol on Saturday evening in the last four of the Challenge Cup having lost on both previous trips there.
The clubs first met in the Champions Cup quarter-finals in 2013, when a star-studded Toulon team led by Jonny Wilkinson recorded a 21-15 win, and were then drawn in the same pool during the 2014/15 campaign with each side winning its home game.
Meeting in Round 3 just before Christmas 2014, it was fly-half Owen Williams who kicked Tigers to a dramatic 25-21 victory to end Toulon’s nine-game winning run in the competition.
His 20 points – and Brad Thorn’s only try for the club – pulled Tigers back to within a point of their rivals in the Pool 3 standings at the halfway point in the tournament in a thunderous encounter.
Toulon were the defending double European champions following Final wins over Clermont Auvergne and Saracens – and on their way to an historic hat-trick – when they were beaten by Tigers in front of a large and passionate Welford Road crowd.
A big performance from the Tigers scrum, led by Marcos Ayerza, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole, with the veteran Thorn alongside Graham Kitchener in the second row, brought the first kickable penalty for Williams and the home side led 6-0 before Thorn dropped on loose ball to score his try.
Williams converted for a 13-0 advantage before Toulon kicked their first points.
Nicholas Sanchez chipped a second penalty and then Bryan Habana latched on to a loose pass to score, with the conversion levelling the game at 13-13.
Another scrum penalty gave Williams the chance to put Tigers in front again but loose ball at the next set-piece allowed Drew Mitchell in for an unconverted try as the visitors led for the first time after 50 minutes.
The kickers traded more three-pointers as Tigers led by a single point to set up a grandstand finish. And, when Habana conceded a penalty just inside the Tigers half on 79 minutes, Williams just had the range to seal the win.
Leicester Tigers and European Challenge Cup semi-final rivals RC Toulon have met just three times previously, most recently in back-to-back rounds in December 2014.
Tigers travel to the Stade Félix Mayol on Saturday evening in the last four of the Challenge Cup having lost on both previous trips there.
The clubs first met in the Champions Cup quarter-finals in 2013, when a star-studded Toulon team led by Jonny Wilkinson recorded a 21-15 win, and were then drawn in the same pool during the 2014/15 campaign with each side winning its home game.
Meeting in Round 3 just before Christmas 2014, it was fly-half Owen Williams who kicked Tigers to a dramatic 25-21 victory to end Toulon’s nine-game winning run in the competition.
His 20 points – and Brad Thorn’s only try for the club – pulled Tigers back to within a point of their rivals in the Pool 3 standings at the halfway point in the tournament in a thunderous encounter.
Toulon were the defending double European champions following Final wins over Clermont Auvergne and Saracens – and on their way to an historic hat-trick – when they were beaten by Tigers in front of a large and passionate Welford Road crowd.
A big performance from the Tigers scrum, led by Marcos Ayerza, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole, with the veteran Thorn alongside Graham Kitchener in the second row, brought the first kickable penalty for Williams and the home side led 6-0 before Thorn dropped on loose ball to score his try.
Williams converted for a 13-0 advantage before Toulon kicked their first points.
Nicholas Sanchez chipped a second penalty and then Bryan Habana latched on to a loose pass to score, with the conversion levelling the game at 13-13.
Another scrum penalty gave Williams the chance to put Tigers in front again but loose ball at the next set-piece allowed Drew Mitchell in for an unconverted try as the visitors led for the first time after 50 minutes.
The kickers traded more three-pointers as Tigers led by a single point to set up a grandstand finish. And, when Habana conceded a penalty just inside the Tigers half on 79 minutes, Williams just had the range to seal the win.
Toulon earned their revenge a week later, winning the rematch 23-8 to tighten their grip on top spot in the pool.
Ali Williams and Mathieu Bastareaud scored the tries and Leigh Halfpenny kicked 13 points while Tigers could respond with only a try from wing Blaine Scully and an Owen Williams penalty.
All Blacks lock Thorn went off early with an ankle injury and Tigers were 16 points down before Scully dived in to score on the right.
The first competitive meeting of the teams was at the Stade Mayol in April 2013 when World Cup hero Wilkinson landed six penalties and a drop goal in a 21-15 victory for the hosts on the way to their first European title.
Tigers, with Ben Youngs, Tom Youngs and George Ford from the current squad in the matchday 23 that day, replied with five penalties from Toby Flood.
Fly-half Flood, though, was also yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on – with Dan Cole suffering a similar fate – while Tom Croft was lost to injury before half-time and then Marcos Ayerza suffered a shoulder injury on a tough afternoon in the south of France.
